Mike Woodson righted the sinking ship known as the New York Knicks. Since taking over interim head coaching duties, Woodson’s Knicks are 16-6 and are playoff bound for the second straight season. However, one major obstacle stands in his way of being promoted from interim to full-time–making Carmelo and Amar’e effectively play together.

Mike D’Antoni’s ‘offensive guru’ coaching habits were ineffective as Anthony and Stoudemire failed to buy into his style of play. However, without D’Antoni, the Knicks have been buying into Woodson’s ideals on both ends. Carmelo has been on fire offensively while Woodson’s decision to run a ‘point guard by committee’ has been effective. However, the one missing factor during Woodson’s success has been Amar’e. Since Stat returned to play, the Knicks are 2-1. Stat scored 22 points and grabbed 12 boards in the team’s win over Atlanta on Sunday.

It’s been well documented that Amar’e and Carmelo have trouble playing together offensively. Amar’e thrives in pick-and-roll situations while Carmelo is an isolation scorer who loves his space. With two contrasting styles of play, Woodson has to make this work. Ultimately, Woodson may need to swallow his pride and stick Stoudemire on the bench to start the game. Having each scorer work independently may get the other going. In crunch time situations, these two will likely be paired together, but there’s no harm in bringing them along separately to start the game.

Alike any playoff situation, egos have to be checked. The Knicks and more importantly, New York City are starved for more playoff wins. The Giants and now Rangers have given the city some exciting playoff moments this year. It’s time for the Knicks to step into that spotlight and win playoff games. That success starts with the head coach and his attempt to make the Anthony-Stoudemire situation work, whether or not they are on the court together.

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